Immigrant Hid in Philly Church 11 Months. Now, a Reprieve

posted by Jenn Gidman -

5 months ago

Since November, Javier Flores Garcia has been separated from his family and hunkered down in a Philly church to avoid deportation, serving as a handyman and praying.

On Wednesday, perNBC Philadelphia, the undocumented immigrant finally left the Arch Street United Methodist Church where he'd found sanctuary not long after Donald Trump was elected president, and theNew York Timesnotes Flores was given a reprieve in "an unusual way": Because he'd helped cops ID suspects who'd attacked him in 2004, leading to their deportation, Flores was granted deferred status, which means he can now live and work in the US under a U visa without fearing ICE will come for him.